Man charged with aiming laser at Marine One during Trump flight, facing up to five years

Jacob Samuel Winkler, described by witnesses and officers as shirtless, talking to himself and loud, was charged Monday with aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft after authorities say he directed the device at Marine One while President Donald Trump was aboard. The Department of Justice said Winkler faces a felony charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

According to an affidavit, a Secret Service Uniformed Bicycle Division officer was securing a flight path on Saturday near the White House when he observed Winkler approaching from 16th Street NW toward 17th Street NW. The officer shone a flashlight; Winkler responded by shining a red laser pointer at the officer's face, before directing the beam toward Marine One as it lifted off from the South Lawn. The affidavit said the laser posed a risk of flash blindness and pilot disorientation during low-level flight near other helicopters and major air traffic, including U.S. Park Police and U.S. Marine Corps helicopters and the Washington Monument. The incident was described as placing Marine One at risk of an airborne collision.

Winkler was quickly detained and handcuffed. He told investigators he did not know it was illegal to point a laser at a helicopter and said he often pointed a laser at "all kinds of things, such as stop signs." Investigators found a three-inch fixed-blade knife on Winkler when he was searched. It was not clear whether Marine One's pilots saw the laser beams, and no other details about the defendant were released in the affidavit.

The incident comes as aviation safety concerns have been in focus in the capital region. Earlier this year, Marine One made an emergency landing after Trump departed Chequers, the UK prime minister's country residence, due to a minor hydraulic issue. The president and First Lady Melania Trump boarded a support helicopter and then safely landed at London's Stansted airport, joining the staff and press to board Air Force One home. Trump has previously pressed for upgrades to Air Force One, arguing for a modernized aircraft to replace the aging fleet.

Federal prosecutors emphasized that laser pointers can pose serious hazards to flight crews, especially during takeoff and landing when helicopter pilots rely on visual cues and precise flight paths. If convicted, Winkler would face the statutory maximum penalties associated with aiming a laser at an aircraft, a crime that federal authorities say can endanger the safety of the president and others aboard.

The case illustrates ongoing tensions over security around executive-branch transport and the federal government’s willingness to prosecute activities that threaten high-profile, time-sensitive operations. If there are further developments, authorities said they will publicize them through standard channels as the investigation proceeds.